1. Field of the Invention
Back pain is one of the most common ailments affecting the adult population of the world. One often-used method for treating back pain is the use of traction. Traction is a way to stretch the body to relieve the pressure on the spine and can be an effective method of pain reduction.
Available traction devices range from cloth harnesses to belts and straps which utilize pulley and weight systems to stretch a patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art describes a multitude of belts designed to be applied to the upper portion of the human body. Some of the belts are designed for rescue work or body restraint and have been adapted, in some cases, to orthopedic therapy and are prescribed for treatment of specific cases.
Belts for restraint and rescue are described in patents issued to: Reach, U.S. Pat. No. 437,822; Forth British Pat. No. 1523; Pitts, U.S. Pat. No. 1,080,297; Schultz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,459,297; Stewart, British Pat. No. 702,613; Gray, U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,143; and Schulman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,541.
Belts designed for orthopedic therapy are described in patents issued to: West, U.S. Pat. No. 1,116,773; Kilmer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,503; Burton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,665; Gross, French Pat. No. 1,461,408.